O ciclo de vida de Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) buttnerae Golvan, 1956 (Eoacanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) parasito do Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1818) (Characiformes: Characidae) da Amazônia brasileira

Abstract

The life cycle of Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) buttnerae, parasite of Colossoma macropomum, was described based on morphological descriptions of its larvae’s development and the identification of its intermediate host. Samples of plankton were collected in a pond excavated in Rio Preto da Eva, Amazon State, Brazil. Parasitized C. macropomum were captured to collect N (N.) buttnerae adults and to evaluate parasitism and parasite indices. All of the sampled fish were heavily infected with N. (N.) buttnerae. The intermediate host was a species of Ostracoda. For the description of the larvae development, a laboratory experimental procedure was used. A total of eleven larval stages, one acanthus phase, and ten acanthella phases were found and the 11th stage was the infecting one. Attempts to cultivate Ostracoda until the development of the infecting stage larva have failed. Being cultivated until the maximum of 26 days, where they were observed the larvae in juvenile stage. All the larvae stages were found in a single Ostracoda species. The larval stages were described morphologically and compared to other species of the Neoechinorhynchidae family with previously described life cycles.